Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association mandates NYSCA coach training

9/16/2016

The Jupiter-Tequesta (Fla.) Athletic Association – one of the state’s most well-known and respected youth sports organizations – now requires that its volunteer coaches complete the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) training before stepping on fields and courts with their teams.

“We wanted a base level of training for our volunteer coaches,” says Randy Rienas, JTAA’s president. “JTAA is reliant completely on volunteers and in order for our coaches to interact properly with participants, parents and other volunteers within our organization we needed to mandate the NYSCA training. We are also in a partnership with the Town of Jupiter and they also saw the benefits from the NYSCA training.”

And what a difference it has made across its youth sports offerings, which features programs covering 16 sports that cater to nearly 7,000 youngsters.

“NYSCA is a tremendous resource for our coaches and participants,” Rienas says. “Informed volunteer coaches do a great service for JTAA. We have seen a better experience for the participants.”

The nationally acclaimed NYSCA program, a program of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) which has been in existence since 1981, features valuable insight from legendary coaches like Mike Krzyzewski, Vivian Stringer, Mike Matheny, Joe Maddon and Roy Williams, among many others. Their insight on building confidence, running quality practices, and teaching teamwork, respect and motivation, among so many other key areas, is the catalyst for volunteer coaches to really have a positive impact on their teams.

Plus, with the program’s online availability, coaches can complete the training from home at their convenience, as well as at their own pace.

“They appreciate the resource,” Rienas says. “They have commented that what they learned from the easy-to-take online course has been applied in their sports.”

Approximately 2,000 volunteers will complete the NYSCA training throughout the year as it is required for all coaches, as well as assistant coaches and team managers. JTAA has also integrated the training with their registration system, creating a streamlined process that Rienas points out “has really helped with participation.”

Besides providing volunteers with valuable insight that can change young lives, the training offers an important layer of protection

In 2000 JTAA stepped forward and became the first organization in the country to mandate parent training through NAYS’ Parents Association for Youth Sports (PAYS) program. The PAYS program, hosted by ESPN’s Chris McKendry, helps parents get a clear vision of their roles and responsibilities in youth sports.

“That has really made an impact on expectations of conduct,” Rienas says. “Our parents understand the expectations and we have very little bad behavior occurring from the spectators.”